Is Dumbledore Death?

[sweettalkeress]

There's a video on YouTube that postulates that Dumbledore might actually be the personification of Death itself. Here it is:

Click to view

So what do you think? Does this theory make sense, or not? Anyone have anything to add that might help it make complete sense

Comments

[hwyla]

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Lastly, there are several symbolic trips to the Underworld in the series that have an Albus connection. Bk1's gauntlet under the 3rd floor corridor is entirely due to the protection of the Philosopher's Stone. Harry's trip to the Chamber of Secrets in bk2 is connected to Albus through Fawkes's, supposedly due to Harry's show of loyalty to Albus (as per Albus). Bk3's Tunnel to the Shrieking Shack would not even be there if Albus had not arranged it solely for Remus' attendance to Hogwarts.

In Harry's trip to the Graveyard in bk4, Albus has less to do with the 'underworld' trip, but it all depends on just how much Albus had to do with reinstating the TriWizard completion and how readily one accepts that he really had no prior idea that his old friend Moody was being impersonated. Of course, that also depends on whether you see the Graveyard as the Underworld trip and not the Second Task trip to the bottom of the lake. As one of the judges of the tasks, he is automatically connected to the trip under the lake.

For bk5, the trip to the DOM and the veil could possibly have been avoided if Albus had actually spoken to Harry BEFORE Voldy started sending visions. Albus apparently suspected the connection BEFORE Harry had his first 'dream' where Frank Bryce died, since he refused to speak directly to Harry at the 'hearing'. And of course Albus was actually there with Harry in bk6's underworld - the Cave by the Sea.

It is interesting that there isn't really an 'Underworld' scene in bk7, but instead we get an 'Afterlife' scene in which Albus figures prominently.

That said, I also see Sirius as death-related. I know there are many who disagree with me, but I see his animagus form as a Grim. But one must remember that a Grim is a 'death-omen' not Death itself.

All-in-all, the video's arguments are lightweight, but I do think there MIGHT be some connections. Not sure it adds up to Albus IS Death, but he certainly is connected to it. One could also argue that Albus is playing God or Fate.

[sweettalkeress]

Interestingly, some of the responses to this particular video seemed to suggest that Dumbledore is not literally Death but has the same function as Death in the story of the Three Brothers. So one other way to look at might be, Dumbledore is trying to recreate the story of the Three Brothers, casting himself as Death and Voldemort, Snape, and Harry each as the Three Brothers. If you think about it, it's pretty well understood by now that Voldemort was likely at least partly trained into violence and an obsession with power (both flaws of the eldest of the Three Brothers) while being educated at Hogwarts, and that later Dumbledore used the memory of Lily to ensure Snape's cooperation in his plans, holding her death over his head, even if Snape himself never comes into direct possession of the Resurrection Stone. And of course he directly gives Harry the Invisibility Cloak.

Why exactly Dumbledore would want to recreate the Tale of the Three Brothers in his own life is admittedly not readily apparent to me, but we can't dismiss it as out of character. We do know, after all, that he's really into old legends, and that one in particular.

[oryx_leucoryx]

Going with this premise, I'd say Albus decided to cast himself as Death personified not before he realized James was in possession of the Hallowed Invisibility Cloak, and no later than when he chose to give the cloak to Harry. We know Albus thought rather highly of himself. We thought he was casting himself in the role of Merlin to Harry/Arthur when he chose to have Harry raised by the Dursleys, but Death might be one step higher yet.

IOW at some point Albus realized Tom and Severus were already in the roles of the first 2 brothers, all he needs is to turn Harry into the third one.